San Clemente water operator salary, 2025

San Clemente is a city in Orange County. 26 people worked as water operators for San Clemente in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $113,408, overtime included.

What is the average water operator salary at San Clemente?

Official pay range, wastewater treatment operators1

$92,211 to $112,083

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for wastewater treatment operators, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year water operators1

$113,408

average base pay $88,042

Water operators
26
22 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$72,250
bottom of the Collection Systems Operator I range
Median total pay
$114,196
the middle water operator: half earned more, half less
Average pay rank
161st
of 300 California employers

What does each water operator title at San Clemente pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

Wastewater treatment operators

  1. Plant Operator III$92,211 to $112,083 · 5 people
    fewer than 5

Wastewater collection operators

  1. Collection Systems Operator I$72,250 to $87,820 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Collection Systems Operator II$77,759 to $94,516 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Lead Operator (Sewer)$85,729 to $104,204 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Chief Operator (Sewer)$101,663 to $123,571 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water distribution operators

  1. Distribution Operator I$72,250 to $87,820 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Distribution Operator II$77,759 to $94,516 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

Water system operators

  1. Lead Operator$85,729 to $104,204 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Lead Operator (Water)$85,729 to $104,204 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. System Operator$87,820 to $106,746 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Chief Operator (Water)$101,663 to $123,571 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Chief Operator Water Systems$101,663 to $123,571 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Does San Clemente pay water operators more than other employers in Orange County?

Average total pay of full-year water operators: San Clemente next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year water operators at San Clemente earned $15,253 less than the Orange County average and $10,318 less than the California average.

Where does San Clemente rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year water operators, by average total pay.1

All 300 California employers

San Clemente ranks 161st of 300, below the middle employer.

San Clemente
$50k$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $116,210

The 19 employers in Orange County

San Clemente ranks 14th of 19, below the middle employer.

San Clemente
$80k$100k$120k$140k$160k

Middle employer: $131,027

Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at San Clemente

As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year water operator, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
2% at 62
the most common formula among San Clemente's water operators
Employer pension contribution
$9,232
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$16,429
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about water operator pay at San Clemente

What is the average water operator salary at San Clemente?

Water operators at San Clemente who worked the full year earned an average of $113,408 in 2025, overtime included. The middle water operator earned $114,196: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its water operator titles runs from $92,211 to $112,083.

How much overtime do water operators at San Clemente earn?

Full-year water operators were paid an average of $17,930 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $13,208: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do water operators at San Clemente get?

The most common pension formula among San Clemente's water operators is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $9,232 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Orange County

Sources for the San Clemente figures

Every person who held a water operator position at San Clemente at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with a lot of overtime. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by San Clemente.

How we read the data